St. Louis-based Microgrid Energy was recognized and awarded with a Certificate of Merit by the St. Louis Green Business Challenge (GBC). The award recognizes sustainable business practices and is the GBC’s highest level of recognition. This is the second year in a row that Microgrid has been honored with the award, and the company celebrated the highest point gain in the small tenant category of the GBC Class of 2015.
As a joint program of the St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Botanical Garden, the GBC supports integration of sustainability measures into the everyday operational practices common to every business. Over sixty companies, nonprofits, and governmental agencies participated in the GBC, identifying and adapting strategies to improve financial performance and engage employees in voluntary measures to reduce their environmental impact. Over 150 companies, representing 130,000 employees, have participated in the program since its inception in 2010.
“The Green Business Challenge continues to push Microgrid Energy’s green efforts to higher levels, and plays an important role in our Triple Bottom Line approach to doing business – having a positive impact on People, Planet and Prosperity,” said Microgrid Energy Director of Triple Bottom Line, Chad Schubert.
“Our Triple Bottom Line approach is a key component to our company culture, and we believe it’s one of the secrets to our success. Our employees embrace this approach fully and the enthusiasm and dedication of our Green Team is what enabled us to win this award two years in a row. It’s been a pleasure to participate in the Challenge and work with such a great team,” said VP of Business Development at Microgrid Energy, Steve O’Rourke.
The following are some of the accomplishments and innovations implemented by Microgrid in the past year:
- Co-sponsored Maplewood’s EPA Green Power Community Challenge – the most successful in Missouri to date
- Successfully completed B Corporation recertification, and was national “Best for the Environment” honoree
- Completed installation of occupancy sensors throughout the office, and worked with landlord to install insulation in uninsulated wall cavities
- Worked with office supply company to consolidate office supply purchases and deliver supplies in reusable totes
- Held company-wide electronics drive
- Hosted a waste-free company event
- Established a program to enable online monitoring of print usage
- Employees volunteered to provide mentorship to local schools in the USGBC’s Green Schools Quest program
- Partnered with First Watch Cafe to host Bike to Work Day rest stop
- Provide volunteer assistance to several of our nonprofit clients to clean their solar arrays and provide other support.
Microgrid Energy is a leading renewable energy and energy efficiency installer with a national reach, based in St. Louis, MO, offering turnkey services for commercial, institutional, and government clients.